I’m not typically one to read the romance genre. I like romantic subplots in the stories I read, and I’m always striving to get better at adding it into the stories I write, but reading pure romance for pleasure really just isn’t my thing. Unless you add in some speculative fiction elements, that is!
I first encountered these kinds of subplots when I started reading Raymond Feist’s Midkemia novels after falling in love with the world through the PC game Betrayal at Krondor. Reading about Pug’s relationship with Lady Carline and his friend Tomas’s infatuation with the elf queen was both entertaining as a reader and inspiring to me as a writer. I doubt I’ll ever write pure romance, but having it as an important subplot? It’s definitely on my list of things to do.
The best example I can think of for a strong romantic subplot (As in, without it the story would collapse) is Elizabeth Haydon’s Symphony of Ages epic fantasy trilogy. What begins as a chance encounter between two star-crossed lovers turns into an epic journey that spans centuries as the two try to find one another again. The story follows Rhapsody, a master bard capable of changing people’s very nature with her singing and naming magic, an ability she wasn’t fully aware of until she flippantly names an assassin she stumbles across in an effort to flee a former romantic interest. “Meet my companion! Uh, Achmed the… the Snake! Very dangerous fellow.”
“Achmed” (The man in black with the crossbow on the cover) is none too pleased by this turn of events, so he and his demi-human friend (the one with the swords) kidnap Rhapsody and drag her along on a journey that may lead her to her true love. But whatever happens, the fate of the world rests in the balance! It really is a well-done trilogy, and the best part is there are six more books after the conclusion!
From the Amazon page:
Rhapsody is a woman, a Singer of some talent, who is swept up into
events of world-shattering import. On the run from an old romantic
interest who won’t take no for an answer, Rhapsody literally bumps into a
couple of shady characters: half-breeds who come to her rescue in the
nick of time. Only the rescue turns into an abduction, and Rhapsody soon
finds herself dragged along on an epic voyage, one that spans centuries
and ranges across a wonder-filled fantasy world.
For visual media, one of my favorites in recent years has been the anime film Your Name, directed by Makoto Shinkai and distributed by Toho. It’s another tale of star-crossed lovers where the story would collapse without the romantic elements or the fantasy elements. I can’t say much about the fantasy aspect of it other than the two main characters are switching bodies for some reason. Anything beyond what’s in the trailers would spoil it. Regardless, it’s one of the main films I loan out to people who haven’t seen much (or any) anime and are interested in the medium. I can’t recommend it enough.
What’s your go-to romance in the speculative fiction world? Do you like it as the main plot, or as a subplot?
A Sci-Fi Romance to Spice Up Your Weekend
Speaking of romance stories, J.F. Posthumus’s latest novel is out! Branded as a sci-fi romance full of drama, aliens, and intrigue, you won’t want to miss it if romance is your cup of tea.
In a universe where trust is a luxury and betrayal hides in every shadow, Alyssa Zelaya, Earth’s deadliest assassin, is marked for death by her own kind. Sent on a mission to make contact with an alien race, she’s caught in a deadly web of deception.
As the Interstellar Military Division plots her demise, Alyssa’s fate takes a wild turn when she’s rescued by It’zarry Mc’narrd, a K’laisian commander. But their alliance ignites a chain reaction of chaos and desire.
With the galaxy teetering on the edge of war, Alyssa must navigate a treacherous path, torn between loyalty and love. But dark forces lurk in the shadows, ready to spark an interstellar inferno.
As allies become enemies and secrets threaten to tear worlds apart, Alyssa faces her toughest mission yet: saving herself and those she holds dear. Can Alyssa stop a war before it has a chance to begin?
These next couple of announcements don’t contain much in the way of romance, unless we’re talking about our own love for the stories!
Barbarians and Space Marines Inbound!
We’ve got two very different anthologies just about ready to come out. For fans of Conan the Barbarian, John Carter of Mars, and other epics from the golden age of fantasy, you won’t want to miss Heathens and Heroes when it charges onto the scene on June 14th!
And then we have Contested Landing, an anthology of military sci-fi edited by J.R. Handley and filled with stories of planetary invasions. Buckle up for an explosive ride on June 21st!
